


Eye for an Eye

by Slaskia



Series: From Grief to Revenge [4]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Gen, Rivalry, Vigilantism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-18 19:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13106535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slaskia/pseuds/Slaskia
Summary: Starscream and Silverdive have their final confrontation.  Only one will come out of it alive.





	Eye for an Eye

**Author's Note:**

> If the rating is too low, let me know and I'll change it to Mature.

_Era:  Golden Age_

_Vos outskirts_  

Starscream transformed and landed, the border only a few arns away.  With a calm stride, he sauntered over to a rock close by and climbed on top of it, then sat down, facing the border.  Now he just waited, as he had done every time he came out here, silently, patiently, for his prey to come. 

It had been a few orns since Silverdive’s exile.  Jetfire told him that the disgraced seeker was likely on the other side of the planet by now, if not off world.  Starscream doubted it.  If there was one thing their rivalry told him, it was that Silverdive’s pride would not allow him to just leave and _not_ make another attempt at his reputation, if not his life.  The exiled seeker still held onto the belief that Starscream had no business being a seeker, let along in _command_ of a legion of them.  It would be only a matter of time before Silverdive made a move and Starscream wanted to hurry the process along. 

That is why he came out here every few cycles, alone and exposed.  It was to tempt his prey, to lure him out so they could have their final confrontation.  To finally put an end to their rivalry, once and for all.  Starscream knew exactly what he wanted to do to him, Silverdive just needed to show so he could do it. 

His audios caught the sound of jets approaching.  _Too many, wrong direction._   He ignored it, knowing it was a patrol.  One sounded like Air Commander Afterburn, the engine having its telltale fiery whoosh to it.  Still didn’t matter.  He didn’t care if the other Air Commander’s knew he was out here by himself.  Or Winglord Zephyr for that matter.  They probably all had a safe guess on what he was doing anyway.  Still didn’t care. 

A half-breem later, he heard another jet.  Alone, coming from the border.  Starscream tensed, the energon in his lines starting to pump faster.  He recognized that engine:  it was the one he was waiting for.  Starscream nearly leapt up to transform, but he forced himself to stay put.  Not yet. 

He can see the jet now.  It was off to the left a bit, then suddenly it turned and headed straight for him.  _Yeesss…._   Starscream nearly allowed the sinister smirk to form on his face, but forced himself to keep a calm, indifferent expression.  _You want me…I know you do._  

His claws clenched, digging slightly into the rock he was sitting on.  Silverdive was coming closer and closer, flying low and fast.  The temptation to fly into the air and meet him head on was almost overwhelming.  

Not yet.  Have Patience.  Just a bit longer. 

Then Silverdive fired at him, his jet mode’s cannon’s blazing.  Starscream threw himself backward, purposely falling off the rock to use it as a shield, landing in a crouch behind it.  Silverdive flew over a second later. 

Now. 

Starscream leapt into the air and transformed, giving chase.  His prey was currently making a wide banking turn, no doubt to make a run for the border:  he had to bring him down before he did so.  Silverdive was faster than him, but the other seeker didn’t have Starscream’s agility in the air.  Starscream used that agility to turn into that turn, planning to cut the other seeker off. 

Then Silverdrive suddenly went straight up, climbing rapidly before going into a loop, turning and twisting so he would end up behind him.  Clever, he had to give him that.  However, Starscream had a counter to that. 

He waited until Silverdive’s greater speed brought him closer, rolling and twisting to avoid his cannon fire.  Then he suddenly nosed up and transformed, landing on top of a rather surprised Silverdive.  Starscream plunged his claws into both wings, both to hang on and to rip large tears into them.  The screams Siliverdive made were delicious. 

He kept tearing into those wings until his prey’s flight was fully compromised. Starscream rode him until they were close to the ground, then jumped off and transformed.  He watched with glee as Silverdive bounced a couple of times, his alt mode lost after the first one, before skidding to a stop.  

Starscream flew over and transformed back to bot mode, landing between Silverdive and the border.  Silverdive was back on his feet by then, glaring at him, his wings now shredded and useless.  “You know the price of returning here,” Starscream told him, his claws flexing.  “Should have stayed in whatever hole you made for yourself.  Now…if you wish to live…you have to kill me first.” 

“Glady!”  Silverdive cried, slipping into a battle stance.  “You took everything from me!  When you are dead I can start to rebuild my life!” 

“If you hadn’t killed her…,” Starscream growled.  “You would still have everything.” 

“If you hadn’t stolen her spark, I wouldn’t have had to!” 

“If you weren’t such a judgmental slagger, it wouldn’t have mattered to you.” 

“Argh! You are a blight!  A taint!  An imperfection!” Silverdive roared.  “I will remove you from existence!” 

“You are free to try,” Starscream taunted, flashing him a sinister grin as he finally slipped into a battle stance himself.  He then beckoned to him with one hand.  “Come now,” he purred.  “Let’s get this over with, shall we?” 

Silverdive growled at him and charged. Starscream rushed forward and met him halfway.  They traded blows, giving each other no quarter, no mercy, until Starscream saw the opening he was looking for.  With a deft strike, he plunged his claws into Silverdive’s throat, right where his voice box was.  

“Your voice always sounded wrong…” he purred.  “Let me fix that for you.”  He clenched his claws, then ripped them out, shredding the other seeker’s voice box.   “This is what had done to her first, wasn’t it?” Starscream’s tone was now cold.  “Silenced her…so she could not call for help.  You probably did it yourself…didn’t you?” 

The other seeker staggered away, holding his throat, looking shocked at Starscream’s brutality.   He clearly never saw what he did to any Quints he got his claws on during the War of Wrath.  Silverdive was trying to speak, but nothing, not even static, was coming out.  It was the most beautiful thing Starscream had ever heard….  

“Now you can’t call for help…not that anyone would come to _your_ aid now.”  Starscream growled as he circled him.  Then he lunged forward, his claws running the seeker through the right side, right where the T-Cog was.  “That was probably next, wasn’t it?” he whispered into his audio.  “So, she couldn’t transform…couldn’t use her blasters or arm blades.  Leaving only her fists to defend herself with.  Not that it helped her any…I doubt you even gave her a _chance_ to fight back.” 

Starscream pushed him away, Silverdrive staggering back before falling onto his aft.  He waited for the seeker to get back up again.  “Still think it’s worth it?” Starscream asked him.  “No voice…no T-Cog…on top of being an exile.  You said I took everything from you.  That isn’t true.  Everything that’s happened you brought onto yourself.  You should have left us alone….” 

Silverdive opened his mouth in a soundless cry of rage before springing at him.  Being weakened from his fresh wounds, Silverdive wasn’t nearly a match for Starscream this time.  The smaller seeker easily countered each attack with precision blows, crippling him further.  In short order, his left shoulder was dislocated, right hand broken and left knee twisted. 

Only now did Silverdive realize how much trouble he was in.  He started backing away the best he could, away from him, his mouth moving, speaking soundless words as he waved a hand at him.  Bastard was pleading for mercy! 

“Mercy?  You want _mercy_?”  Starscream growled as he stalked after him.  “Did you give _her_ mercy when she asked for it!?”  He tripped him, sending him to the ground before stomping on one of his legs, hearing a satisfying crack.  “You gave her _none!_   Her death wasn’t quick…it was slow.  You made her _suffer!_ ”  Silverdive’s optics widened, it dawning on him what Starscream planned to do.  Starscream gave him a particularly sadistic grin, a purr now in his voice.  “I read every detail on the coroner’s report.  Every.  Detail.  I know what was done first…to what finally ended her life.  I intend to do the. Same. Thing. To. _You._ ” 

It was time to stop toying with him.  It was time to get to work. 

\-- 

 _A short time later…._  

Starscream looked down at Silverdive, panting.  The other seeker was gasping, faint gurgling noises coming from his intake.  His limbs were a mix of mangled, shredded or simply torn off.  Just like what was done with Quickwing, as he intended. 

He didn’t get out of this unscathed.  Silverdive had fought back with everything he had in a desperate attempt to avoid his fate.  Starscream’s frame was covered in scratches, some leaking energon, most not.  Mostly, Starscream was just exhausted, the whole ordeal having taken more out of him than he expected.  He wasn’t done yet though.  After all, Silverdive wasn’t dead yet. 

Silverdive was looking at him, with the one optic he had left.  He knew what was coming next and Starscream wasn’t going to disappoint.  Starscream reached down and ripped off his chest panels, revealing Silverdive’s spark.  As he reached down, Silverdive made one last struggle, then froze when he encircled the glowing pale green ball of light with his claws. 

Starscream looked at Silverdive in the optic, relishing in the terror and fear he could see in it for a moment.  “Now you know how she felt in her last moments…,” he growled to him.  “May you rot in the Pit!”  He clenched his claws and pulled out his spark, crushing it as he did so.  Silverdive shuddered once before falling still, his optic turning dark. 

It was over.  Quickwing was avenged.  Yet he felt no relief.  No satisfaction.  Only a strange heaviness…a hollowness… in his spark.  He looked at his claws, which were coated with Silverdive’s energon, a realization dawning on him. 

This was the first time he took another Cybertronian’s life. 

Yet he didn’t feel regret.  Was that a good thing?  The hand he used to snuff out Silverdive’s spark felt unusually cold, like all the warmth was taken out of it.  Would it feel like this each time?  Starscream didn’t want there to be next time. 

He couldn’t linger here.  The patrol was due to come around again in only a few kliks.  Starscream tore himself away from what he had done, transformed and started on the journey home.  

To not only clean up, but to await his own fate for what he had done….

**Author's Note:**

> Technically I didn't need to write this one, as the following one covers this part of the story well enough. However, I wanted to write a brutal, sadistic Screamer rather than the cute, fluffy, emo one I've been churning out lately for once.


End file.
